Baby suddenly from healthy to seizure

[squirrelfairy]

Hi again,
I started the thread on the neuro baby. He is actually doing really really well, coming along, eating, growing, still a bit slow, but no seizures, and much more alert. Now the strange thing is, the rehabber that has him put another female in there with him when he became more responsive, the same age, around 4-5 weeks. The next morning this squirrel went from totally healthy, eating and acting normal to total seizure activity. I saw it for myself tonight, I went over to check things out and she was in the middle of a grande mal. Then had petit mals after for a while. She seemed glazed over, and one front paw was knuckling. My friend said she wasn't able to nurse all day. She tremored and had a lot of blinking. Now.................IS IT POSSIBLE that the neuro squirrel had some kind of virus that he rapidly passed on to this girl???? I cannot imagine what it could be, but how can a seemingly healthy squirrel one day be reduced to this less than 24 hours later? The only thing she did differently is place her in the same container with the neuro guy.
Another idea.................this is the same rehabber that has the s-pox going on............are seizures or any of this activity ever associated with pox???

Please, your input is very important!! :thankyou :thankyou

[winky2]

Have you ruled out toxins? Any chance they were treated with a topical flea treatment?

[LynninIN]

My first thought would be a fever from the pox resulting in a seizure (febrile seizure). Does she feel hot? Do you have any meds to lower the temp? Viral infections can cause inflammation of the brain (encephalitis) that could also cause a seizure.

Be cautious using a corticosteroid (dex) unless you suspect a head trauma because it will lower the immune system.

[LynninIN]

Have you ruled out toxins? Any chance they were treated with a topical flea treatment?
:thumbsup That's an excellent question.

[squirrelfairy]

No, no toxins, flea treatments, nothing like that.

Thats what I was curious about, if she was exposed to the pox virus, the other squirrel who came down with symptoms was in a different container, but could she contract a fever from it and result in seizure?? She did seem hot and feverish, to me and to the other rehabber. right now all we did was give her subq's. she's still pretty out of it.
has anyone expereinced this kind of thing before????

[Mars]

Other possible toxins are scented candles, non stick cookware, new carpeting or drapes. Smoking is another big one people don't think of.

[Loopy Squirrel]

Pox has a 7-14 day incubation period. I doubt that she would react this soon. Most viruses have a pretty long incubation period. Ivermection can cause horrible seizures if not diluted properly on small animals.

[squirrelfairy]

she has had this baby for about 2 weeks, and no symptoms at all until yesterday.
She said this morning there is no change. she swears the only difference is putting her for one day with the neuro squirrel, he continues to improve however.
She can't eat very well either, can we try some phenobarb do you think? I still have some elixir from my last non releasable.
I did see the PM to try some asprin, thanks, she is going to do that also.

[LynninIN]

With the normal incubation period, I was actually wondering if they were exposed before they came in for rehab or immediately following and just a coincidence that it was put in with the neuro baby the day before.

[squirrelfairy]

:thankyou Well, just an update:
Gay brought the baby to my house for some Reiki, last resort really, she never really came back from her first episode. she sadly died last night.

I think Gay and I are just really trying to figure out WHAT happened? a totally healthy squirrel, about 4-5 weeks, eating, growing, NO problems, she put her with another squirrel that previously (now doing wonderfully) had seizures, reduced to a lethargic, twitching, non responsive baby in a matter of a day??? is there a virus I am so not aware of that she can get from another squirrel?? Lyme was suggested by the Reiki person, but squirrels dont' get lyme, do they?
Please, we just want to figure out what happened to her.
any thoughts would be so appreciated.
Thanks,

[Apple Corps]

:grouphug :grouphug :grouphug

Sorry for our collective loss - it could have been anyone of so many things - sadly we will never know. You tried - your lil fuzzer probably sensed the care.

Hang in there for those yet to come.

[skye]

I am so sorry to hear little one didn't make it. God Bless
R.I.P sweet baby

[winky2]

I wouldn't rule out a neurotoxin. Perhaps the previously neuro baby had come in contact with a mold, creating the neurological symptoms observed. The second baby was exposed to the mold from the hair of the first one and had a much more severe reaction. Lots of people aren't aware of how deadly molds can be. We had a 110 pound dog in last night that ate some moldy mac and cheese found in the teenagers room and within minutes the dog was tremoring so severely it couldn't walk. We see animals all the time having tremors from eating out of the compost pile in the owners backyards.